/'  / J o 


PAM. 
N.  AM£Ri 


OFFICE  OF 

TfiE  Indian  Rights  Association, 
No.  1305  Arch  Street,  Phila. 


PLEA  FOR  AN  INDIAN  CHURCH  BOARDING  SCHOOL  ON 
THE  STANDING  ROCK  RESERVATION,  DAKOTA. 


I am  trying  to  raise  the  sum  of  S(i,000  to  enable  Bishop  Hare 
to  erect  a Boarding  School  for  Indian  children  at  St.  Elizabeth’s 
Mission  Station  on  the  Standing  Rock  Reservation,  Dakota.  A 
word  as  to  the  reasons  for  undertaking  this  enterprise,  and  as  to 
the  incident  which  suggested  it  to  my  mind.  I was  seated  in  the 
Indian  Agent’s  office,  on  the  Cheyenne  River  Reserve,  one  after- 
noon late  in  the  month  of  June  past  when,  as  I happened  to 
glance  out  over  the  dry  dusty  space  of  laud  lying  between  the 
Agency  buildings  and  the  Missouri,  I saw  a tall,  serious-faced 
Indian  in  civilized  dress  passing  by.  It  was  Philip  Deloria, 
Missionary  at  St.  Elizabeth’s  Station,  on  the  Standing  Rock  Re- 
serve. I ran  out  to  meet  him,  much  surprised  to  find  him  at  the 
Agency,  which  is  ninety  miles  distant  from  his  home.  His  first 
words  told  me  that  he  was  in  deep  grief,  his  wife  having  died 
from  sudden  illness,  two  days  previous.  He  had  travelled  by 
wagon  sixty  miles  that  day  on  his  way  to  his  old  home  at  Yank- 
ton Agency,  with  his  little  daughter,  an  attractive  child  of  six, 
whom  he  intended  placing  under  the  care  of  a relative. 

But  Philip’s  personal  trouble  did  not  make  him  forget  the 
needs  of  his  people,  and  as  we  sat  that  evening  at  the  door  of  his 
tent  while  the  sun  sank  beyond  the  furthest  edge  of  the  western 
prairie,  he  said  to  me,  in  his  slow,  halting  way,  occasioned  by  his 
imperfect  knowledge  of  English : “ Mr.  Welsh,  my  people  want  a 
Church  Boarding  School  for  their  children ; the  Government 
School  at  Standing  Rock  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Roman  Catholics, 
and  the  children  of  our  Christian  Indians,  if  they  go  there,  will  be 
brought  up  outside  the  faith  of  their  parents.  Won’t  you  tell 
good  people,  when  you  go  east,  of  our  great  need,  and  ask  them 

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to  help  us  build  a Church  Boarding  School  at  St.  Elizabeth’s, 
like  St.  John’s  school  at  this*Agency?”  I answered  that  I 
would  speak  of  this  need,  which  I knew  to  be  a real  and  pressing 
one,  when  I had  an  opportunity,  but  that  I could  not  promise  to 
do  much  in  pressing  it,  as  so  many  other  financial  burdens  were 
resting  upon  me.  The  next  day  Philip  Deloria  started  on  his 
southward  journey,  and  I have  not  seen  him  since ; but  as  I 
travelled  northward  on  my  way  to  Standing  Rock,  I had  an 
opportunity  to  see  and  talk  with  the  Indians  connected  with  St. 
Elizabeth’s  Mission.  I became  convinced  that  their  request  for 
a school  was  well  founded,  and  that  the  interest  which  they  have 
already  shown  in  helping  themselves  entitles  them  to  the  help  of 
eastern  friends. 

Upon  my  return  to  the  east  I wrote  to  a lady  of  New  England, 
who  is  well  known  for  her  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  the  Indians 
and  her  intelligent  and  zealous  labors  to  promote  their  welfare. 
Through  her  instrumentality  $250  were  soon  contributed  for  the 
school  by  Trinity  Church,  Boston ; and  since  then  other  gifts 
from  friends  have  increased  this  amount  to  $831.56. 

The  following  letter  from  Philip  Deloria  to  myself,  written  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  generosity  of  Boston  friends  and  of  their 
interest  in  the  school,  will  at  least  show  that  the  heart  of  the 
Indian  is  not  incapable  of  gratitude  : — 

St.  Elizabeth’s,  Dec.  8,  1887. 

Mr.  Herbert  Welsh: 

Dear  Friend : — I was  arrived  here  on  the  first  part  of  Oct. 
last.  I found  that  all  my  people  been  doing  well.  And  they 
are  doing  very  well  ever  since.  There  was  quite  number  of  them 
are  now  candidate  for  confirmation,  and  some  are  seeking  for 
baptism.  And  there  was  some  children  being  baptized  after  I 
was  coming  home  here.  Some  of  our  people  living  15  miles 
away  from  us,  therefore  I had  to  go  there  for  holding  services 
with  them.  When  we  have  services  all  the  responses  and  prayers 
are  said  by  nearly  all  the  congregations.  And  made  the  services 
very  interesting  to  all.  When  I received  your  letter,  and  have 
found  that  there  are  now  $250  for  the  proposed  boarding  school 
my  heart  is  leap  for  joy,  and  I read  the  letter  to  my  people  and 
when  I had  come  to  the  word  $250,  they  all  having  smiles  on 


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their  faces  and  said,  “ Haye,”  that  is  to  say,  “ Thanks.”  There 
was  three  prominent  men  aside  from  our  own  men  are  still  wish- 
ing to  have  the  (church  boarding  school)  for  their  children. 
There  names  are  as  follows : John  Grass,  Gaul,  and  Two  Packs, 
and  many  others.  My  own  desiring  is  that  this  people  ought  to 
have  the  school.  I have  many  thanks  to  the  kindness  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Brooks  and  all  the  other  good  people  who  has  been  working 
with  him.  God  bless  them. 

Sincerely  Yours, 

P.  J.  Deloria. 

Letter  from  a Christian  Indian  woman  to  Rev.  Philip  Delo- 
ria : — 

INIoreau,  Dakota,  Nov.  22d,  1887. 

Mr.  Deloria  : 

Mr.  Peter  No  Heart  has  coming  back  here  this  evening,  to 
one  of  our  meeting,  and  he  has  telling  us  all  about  your  works, 
also  he  told  us  that  your  people  are  doing  well.  He  also  has 
telling  us  that  they  wished  to  have  a church  boarding  school  for 
their  children.  And  wishing  us  very  much  to  help  for  what  we 
can,  so  we  at  once  have  the  matter  talked  it  over  among  ourselfs, 
and  had  collected  these  small  amount  of  money  which  is  $7.50 
for  the  proposed  boarding  school,  and,  we  are  very  gladly  to 
assuring  you,  that  this  coming  winter  we  all  going  to  work 
hard  and  raise  some  money  for  the  same  object.  We  believe 
that  Good  Lord  will  hear  our  prayers  and  give  us  strong  hearts 
to  do  more  for  him.  We  all  shaking  hand  wdth  you,  I am  one 
of  your  friends. 

Nancy  Oyanke  Wakan  Win, 

Secretary  of  Women’s  Aux. 

This  school,  when  built,  will  be  under  the  care  and  direction 
of  Rt.  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Hare,  d.d.,  and  within  the  diocese  of 
Southern  Dakota.  I shall  be  glad  to  receive  toward  this  fund 
any  gifts  with  which  I may  be  entrusted,  and  to  deposit  them  in 
bank  as  they  are  received.  I trust  that  those  who  feel  interested 
in  the  work,  but  who  can  only  contribute  very  small  sums,  will 
not  on  that  account  hesitate  to  do  what  they  can. 

HERBERT  AVELSH. 


March  24,  1888. 


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